The World Needs the Avengers
by David Golightly
Summary: After the House of M, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers discuss the future of the Avengers. This was supposed to be the first scene in a new group fanfic website, but the site fell through. Read and Review please!


** New York City **

"I've stood in this exact spot hundreds of times, staring at the same thing over and over," a blonde-haired man said. "You'd think I would get tired of it but I never do. Is it the nostalgia I crave or something else? Maybe an ideal I'm selfishly trying to uphold--"

"Relax, Steve," a man with dark hair beside him said. He stroked his thick goatee as he stared into the distance, focusing on the same towering object as his companion. "It's just the two of us today. No need to get all philosophical on me."

The blonde smirked as he pulled his eyes away, shifting his weight so he could pivot and lean on the railing in front of them. His chiseled features were the envy of any sculptor and even through his heavy winter coat one could see the lean muscle of his body. A physique like his normally would be attained through years of hard work and discipline but his life had been anything but normal. His experiences placed him higher than most men dreamed as far as general respect went. He had led scores of men to their victory as well as their death. Everything from rival despots to insane technology had crossed his path at one time or another, yet he still retained an air of civility in his mannerisms.

"Sorry, Tony," Steve replied. "With everything that's happened recently can you blame me for a little bit of metaphorical waxing?"

"Not at all," his friend commented, sighing. "I'm just a forward-thinker. A futurist. Always have been." Tony tilted his head back to look at the morning skies overhead as a news helicopter flew by, no doubt hoping for a quick photo opportunity. Wherever he went it was always the same; the media couldn't wait for his next public embarrassment. "Can you blame _me_ for wanting to get to the point of order? It's cold out here."

"The world needs the Avengers."

"No argument from me," Tony said. "You might have some trouble convincing the world of that, though."

Steve held his tongue as angered thoughts came to the forefront of his psyche. As two of the world's most recognizable heroes, when disaster struck most of the populace looked to them for help and guidance. Unfortunately that also meant when they failed to avert countless casualties they were unfairly held responsible. He felt sympathy for all those they hadn't been able to help but even with their extraordinary abilities they weren't omnipotent. What made things worse was that even though he truly believed himself innocent he still felt a terrible sense of guilt.

"You're right," he finally said, breaking the silence and doing his best to remain calm. "Maybe that's why I wanted to meet here, to get a sense of why we do what we do."

"She is good for that," Tony replied as he rubbed his hands together in an effort to stay warm. "One look at the Statue of Liberty and I feel warm all over. I imagine you feel a little more strongly than I ever will but we'll keep that between you, me, and her."

Tony relaxed slightly once the helicopter had finally moved on. He had more money than Bill Gates and Donald Trump combined, making him a target for the media. If it wasn't that it was his brief stint as part of the Presidential Cabinet, which he had been forced to resign from. Even his very identity had been attacked more than once. Sometimes the events played out in his favor and sometimes they didn't. Like the stock market he considered a person's fate to be a gamble. Information could be traded to make an educated guess as to your next move but in the end that was all it was, a guess. He was the kind of person that needed to be in control and have a plan. Because of this people called him paranoid…he preferred to think of it as being cautious.

Silence passed between the pair once again. The two men had only known each other for a handful of years but it felt like decades. They had saved each other's lives more times than they could both recount, forming a bond of trust and certainty.

"The world needs the Avengers," Steve repeated. "Even if they don't want to admit it. We're heroes, Tony, and this is what heroes do."

"It's inevitable, I suppose. I never thought we would see the End of Days but we came pretty close. There's a lot of distrust out there, Steve. This thing with Wanda really set us back quite a ways. Mutant relations are worse than they've ever been and people are getting hurt because of it."

"All the more reason for us to start from scratch."

Tony shook his head, finally turning away from the statue and facing his friend. "They don't _want_ us to start from scratch, that's my point. Regardless of the fact mutants were at the center of the maelstrom public opinion is everyone wearing spandex is at fault. Reality was tossed on its ear thanks to a mentally unstable woman with enough power to remake the planet. Ma and Pa Public don't like it, they don't like us."

Steve Rogers, whose mere presence had commanded the authority of gods and immortals, stared down his longtime confidant. Tony Stark, whose intellect and resourcefulness had placed him among the most powerful beings in existence, returned the gaze. Each man admired and respected the other, almost too much. Together they were arguably the most effective fighting force of all time. They both knew how difficult things could easily become but their reasoning told them they had triumphed over worse, and they had done so as a team.

"So," Steve began, "who do you want on the new roster?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing."


End file.
